Broken Boy
by Praying For Love In A Lapdance
Summary: The day Tori takes him is the day her broken world shatters. Rated T for possible triggering and other things that I can't mention but won't because it'll give everything away. Not Jori, but it includes both Jade and Tori and, hey, what the hell, right?


**Title: Broken Boy**

**Fandom: Victorious**

**Plot: The day Tori takes him is the day her broken world shatters.**

**A/N: this is the companion piece to Hers. And note that it says 'Broken Boy' not 'Broken Girl'.**

"Hey, Jade!" Ruben calls gleefully, waving from where he talked to a tan girl. Jade only saw her from behind. She's tan, slim and brown haired. She crosses her fingers and hopes it's not who she thinks it is.

"Hi, Ruby!" She grins and wraps her arms around his waist when he's close enough. His arms hook around her neck.

"What the hell are you doing here anyway, Rube? You get out like, a half hour after me."

"Half day. Thought I'd come pick you up."

"I'm the one with the car."

"Thought I'd accompany you on the ride."

"Okay. Now what d'you really want?"

".. To hit Beck. Repeatedly. Until he bleeds." He says, pulling back but leaving his arm around her neck. Jade moves to his side, arm around his waist and face pressed against his side.

"Vega." She greets coldly.

"Hi, Jade." She smiles brightly. "You and Ruben know each other?"

"He's my _baby_ brother. So don't get any ideas."

"Jade!" Ruben scolds, clearly embarrassed. "I'm sorry for.. her." He apologizes. "Plus, I'm not even your baby brother. I'm like, ten months younger than you. I was a pre-me. We're in the same grade."

"Excuse you." Jade laughs, face lit up. Tori's eyebrows furrow. "I can apologize for myself, thank you very much."

"Then maybe you should try it sometime."

"I do! Just not to Vega." The aforementioned girl laughs nervously, scratching the back of her head.

"Yeah, she doesn't exactly.. love me. Or like me."

"Or tolerate you." Jade pipes up. Tori nods.

"Yes, that too."

"Ruby, go wait in the car, would you? I need to talk to _it_ in private."

"Are you gonna kill her?" Ruben asks suspiciously. She barks out a laugh.

"If I was going to, I would've by now."

Reluctantly, Ruben leaves. Jade's entire expression changes, face going taut with anger. A growl pushes through her lips as she backs Tori up into a locker. She jabs an accusatory finger at her.

"Listen, Vega, you can take everything from me, and you have. You've taken my grades, my roles, my friends, and my boyfriend. But you /can not/ take my brother. Do. You. Under. Stand?"

"Jade, I.."

"_Do you_?" She nearly yells, but controls herself. Again, Tori tries.

"I haven't taken anything from you." Jade gives a malicious laugh.

"You're right, it's been handed to you on a goddamn _platter_. But he will not be. You can't have him, too. He's the only thing I still love. Don't fuck it up. You understand?" Tori sighs and nods.

"Yeah, I do."

"Good."

But she takes him anyway. Ruben goes and grins and says he's picking up Tori and he stops having time for her and stops checking on her every day after school and barely even talks to her.

The day Tori takes him is the day her broken world shatters.

The day Tori takes him is the day she's done.

The day Tori takes him, he doesn't even check on her.

Which sucks, because not only does he see her, but Tori is with him and they see her at her most vulnerable.

With blood pouring from the slices on her wrists, skin paler than usual.

Ruben breaks down and drops down to the side of her bed. The eyebrow stud embedded in her arm makes him cry harder, the words _you left_ carved into her skin make it hard to breathe and he unsuccessfully tries to rouse her, as if she was sleeping.

"Jade! Jade, wake up! I'm sorry, I won't.. I won't leave, I won't! Please! Just wake up!"

But she doesn't. He shuts everyone out and eventually drops out of school, and the broken boy becomes the depressed man becomes the dead body on the street corner in front of a bar becomes the body on the autopsy table with traces of drugs in his bloodstream.


End file.
